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From Michael Rosenauer
Can they pull back? I have all the confidence in the world in Mark and the chaps on Assa Abloy. The choice to head east and up over the high thereby saving a significant amount of distance was readily apparent. Further, while the boats are very close, the drag race south showed that Assa Abloy is pretty fast in all conditions and extremely well sailed. Being to windward may be very beneficial as if the wind comes around, Assa Abloy is reaching while the lads to the south are beating to make Cape Town. The high now shows that it is moving south and may indeed block the front-runners from a fast finish. I wonder if the tune would change if Assa Abloy slid up and over the top only to be on shore when the others arrived?

From Colin Butterworth
First to Cape Town is going to be? Say your Frers and please pass the biscuits... For Grant and the Amer Sports One team the first leg of this race was planned as a shake down for the subsequent legs, particularly the Southern Ocean stretches where German's shape is expected to produce superior speed. The turbo charged performance by Amer Sports One over the last four days is a clear demonstration of how the whole can be greater than the sum of its parts. Twelve thinning athletes from both sides of the equator racing a Scandinavian built fat boat designed by an Argentinian under the burgee of an Italian Yacht Club emerges as a recipe for fast pie. Grant's informed passage plan and appreciation of the constancy of change binds the hunger of "Dalton's Dozen" to the pursuit of excellence and position number one at the Tavern of the Seas, Cape Town. Saint Pete will be well pleased.

From Mikael Ahrenberg
Who do you think will be finishing first? As to who will be first in Cape Town is a delicate question. I checked out the speed differences between first and second and noticed that illbruck at the moment is just one knot faster. Given time they could catch up with Dalton and making his inevitable leg win a bit difficult. But I must say that I trust Dalton will fix this one. He is after all a wizard in reading weather and "knowing" how the winds will shift. He also has the nose for how to maximize the power of the sails. Besides he has a very good boat to sail. wait until he reaches the Southern Ocean, I've got the feeling this design will perform well. Oh, yes Bruce Farr is a good boat designer, but the son of German Frers has that little extra.

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